Chapter 5: Defining Choices

AN: This chapter diverges DRASTICALLY from the first three chapters of the story. You may like it, you may hate it; either way this story has found a direction and I'm sticking to it. To anyone who is just joining me on this adventure, welcome. This chapter took a lot of time to write because I had to reconcile certain events to make sure that they didn't interfere with history too badly. I'll explain the era that Harry finds himself in more in the post-script note. I hope that you like it. Thanks to EVERYONE who reviewed. I received some very constructive reviews that encouraged me to write better on this chapter and tried to address the issues that had been raised.

AN: This chapter has been edited

AWitP: Defining Choices

"Uh… Where are we," Harry asked as he shook his head, attempting to clear the cobwebs from his mind and identify the unfamiliar landscape around him. The boy's gaze fell upon his oldest friend and he called out to her, "Nymphie, wake up!" However, Harry's voice did not reach his slumbering friend; she slept as if she hadn't a care in the world. So, after physically attempting to rouse the sleeping girl, he turned his attention back to his surroundings. He and Nymphadora were no longer in the Hufflepuff common room; instead, they were in a warm sun-lit valley that was bordered on one side by a range of mountains and on the opposite side by a forest that seemed to be alive. Harry was scared and confused by the scenario that he found himself in and because he didn't know what to do help his friend. Tears threatened to fall from the young boy's eyes but he clenched his teeth and put all of his effort into stemming their flow. He stood and was struck with a sense of insignificance due to just how grand the scene was, around him. There was a breeze that bent the tall blades of grass toward a lake that shimmered in the distance touching both the forest and the mountain range in a very picturesque manner; as soon as Harry's gaze fell upon the lake he felt an inexplicable pull toward the body of water. After quickly looking around in order to verify that he and Nymphadora were alone, Harry was convinced that Nymphadora would be safe in her position while investigated the mysterious body of water. Harry's feet started moving of their own accord and before he knew it he was leaning over a pool of the clearest water that he had ever seen. Harry leaned over the water and expected to see his reflection but what he saw when his gaze fell upon the unblemished surface made him gasp.

Harry, being a metamorphmagus, was used to his reflection changing and consequently did not miss a beat when the reflection in the water did not accurately reflect his true appearance. However, no matter what changes Harry made to his physical appearance his reflection was always alone in whatever object he was looking into, until he looked into the mesmerizing pool at the end of the field. In the waters of the pool, Harry saw a look of determination on his reflection's face. His reflection was dressed in a long-sleeved black shirt that clung to his arms like a second skin. Over the black shirt was a green vest with a collar that appeared to be reinforced so that it could serve to protect his neck from enemy weapons. His legs were covered by a pair of tan pants that fit tightly and were tucked into dark brown boots. His unruly dark hair was tied back except for a thick strand that hung down to cover the spot where Harry's scar would be. Harry's reflection pulled a mask up from the collar of his black shirt to cover the bottom part of his face before being surrounded by people, each of which had a symbol that consisted of a double sided trident, with five prongs instead of the customary three, that sat horizontally and was divided in the middle by a bar proudly displayed on a band that protected their forehead; Harry's reflection had the same symbol on the back of his vest. Harry's reflection and his allies assumed their battle stances as another group of people who had banded together under a different symbol moved towards them. Some of the warriors held swords, spears, or knives while others readied whip-like weapons, that were much more elaborate than the standard cat-o-nine-tails, that Harry had never seen in his life. The two groups sprang into action and Harry was amazed by what he saw; various combatants chose to harness the elements to attack their enemies instead of limiting their combat to hand-to-hand altercations. One by one, the duels were decided and the battlefield was strewn with casualties. Harry's reflection had won his duel and he stood opposite a figure dressed in a red and black outfit whose identity was also concealed by a mask. While Harry and his comrades were united under the symbol of the five-pronged, dual-sided trident, the mysterious figure and the others that Harry's reflection and his companions had fought so valiantly against were united under the image of paddle that was red on the top half and white on the bottom half. The figure and Harry's reflection appeared to exchange words but Harry could not hear what they were saying. After a few moments Harry and the figure started battling. Harry's reflection shot bolts of lightning at his adversary which were either dodged or countered with fireballs. Eventually the mysterious enemy was able to take the offensive and caught Harry's reflection in a tornado of fire. Harry saw his reflection slump to the ground and was broke from his stupor when he heard a voice calling to him.

"Young wizard, it has been a long time since anyone has heeded my call. This world, like many others, is on the verge of falling into chaos. This pool shows what may lay ahead of you in your future. You have a choice to make. If you choose incorrectly then you may fall, as you saw your reflection fall moments ago; if you choose correctly then you may be able to save many other people in addition to yourself. Before you make your decision, I will give you more information about the two factions that will be vying for control of this world. The first group of people will believe that they are fighting for what is right and would do almost anything to be victorious in the upcoming war; they will be led by a young charismatic leader who has the blessings of his elders and will fight from the moral high-ground. However, their opponents will also believe that they are fighting for what is right but they will have drastically different manner of accomplishing their goals. Their leader will rise up from obscurity and, in doing so, will earn the respect and loyalty of his followers. However, his rise from obscurity will cement his belief that nothing is forbidden to him if he deems it necessary to succeeding in his endeavors. Each side has noble beliefs and will require a champion to fight for their cause. Currently the majority of this world's people are unaware that there is a conflict brewing that will be so divisive but those who are aware are doing nothing to prevent the upcoming war. Due to the greed of power-hungry individuals on both sides of the future conflict there is nothing that can be done to prevent the split from occurring. However, as a champion you will find that, although the powers you have become accustomed to in your world are inaccessible in this world, there are many other forms of power. So young warrior who will you fight for?" the booming voice asked.

"I don't know," Harry breathed. "I still don't know anything about these people that you want me to fight for. How can I be expected to know which side is right?"

"It is pleasing that you did not immediately declare yourself for either side. For your consideration I will tell you more about the two factions. The charismatic leader of the first faction is one who could bring a period of greatness to the land but, undoubtedly, in his rashness to assure victory against his foes he will cause much ill will amongst those he defeats and those who manage to remain neutral during the war. After a decade of peace another resistance movement will form and, unlike its predecessor, this one will succeed in overthrowing the established system by shedding the blood of all those people who stand against them; the few who survive will become slaves and be worked to death by their cruel masters. On the other hand, the leader of the second group will be seen as an outlaw by the established order and will have to operate in the shadows in order to achieve his goals. By the time he is finally forced into the light his vision will have been corrupted by the darkness and he will become a tyrant. As his champion you will be forced to do things that violate your moral code however, his legacy will be far greater than the accomplishments of his life; his successors will bring the world will to a time of unprecedented prosperity. So the question that you are answering now is whether or not you can be an agent of evil today in order for good to prevail in the future or if you would cling to your beliefs in order to avoid being labeled evil today even though it will cause the world to spiral into chaos in the future?"

Harry's mind was reeling from the options that the voice presented him with; no matter what, he would ultimately be an instrument of evil. Harry slumped to the ground as the conclusion hit home. The young boy had no desire to commit any acts of evil. He wanted to grow up and become an Auror with his best friend in the world, Nymphadora. The thought of his best friend caused Harry's breath to catch in his chest. "What about Nymphadora? I can't just leave her!"

"It is a most unfortunate circumstance that you are placed in, Harry. Like you, your friend, Nymphadora, will also be a champion in the upcoming conflict. The reason that she did not wake when you called her earlier is because the decision is yours to make. No matter which side of the dispute you decide to support, she cannot stand by you as she has in the world that you come from."

Harry choked when he heard the voice's proclamation. "Bu-bu-but why?" Harry stammered.

"For every action there must be an equal and opposite reaction. That girl is your equal and, as such, is responsible for maintaining the balance of the world. If you choose to side with the first faction then she will be put at the mercy of the second leader and the girl that you have come to think of as family will be gone forever. If you chose to go with the leader from the second group then you will spare her a life of physical and moral agony but you will be forced to endure terrors more fearsome than your worst nightmares, and risk losing yourself, but she will be safe. Now, time is short, you must decide who will suffer as an agent of darkness."

Harry thought of all the good times that he had with his friend and knew that there was only one possible answer to the voice's question. "The second group; I'll serve the second group," Harry declared in a defeated voice as the tears that he had succeeded in holding back before burst from him like a damn.

"That decision was very noble of you, young Harry. For that, I will give show you kindness. Reach into the water to receive a tool that will help you on your journey," the voice instructed Harry.

Despite his tears, Harry did as he was instructed and reached down into the water. He stretched his body out over the pool in order to extend his reach; he almost over-balanced and fell into the water but was able to regain his balance when his hand closed on something. With a jerk of his hand, Harry caused water to erupt in all directions as he pulled the object back to the shore with him. Harry fell onto his bottom in an extremely ungraceful manner as he jerked back from over the water's surface. From his seated position he took the opportunity to examine the tool that the voice had granted him; it was a gleaming black cylinder with a handle that had seven gold spikes separated by an inch of black fabric that had been wrapped around the hilt as a grip. Harry looked perplexed by his new gift and, after placing one hand on the grip and the other on the unmarked part of the cylinder Harry pulled his hands apart to reveal an incredibly sharp blade that was about two-and-a-half times as long as the handle when the sheathe fell away. The blade was sharp on both sides and the tang ran the entire length of the blade; it would be a dangerous weapon. Half of the blade, from the center-fold to the sharpest part of the edge, was black and the other, corresponding part was white.

"That blade will never break, it can never dull, and it will never need to be sharpened; it is a gift to remind you that, while you toil in the darkness, you are ultimately fighting for the light. Keep it with you and remember what you are fighting for; if you forget your reason for fighting then everything that you hold dear will be lost to you and you will never survive long enough to see your friend, Nymphadora, again."

Harry's mouth was opening and closing but the young boy's voice failed him. The incoherent syllables that he was producing in response to the voice's declarations went unnoticed.

"One last thing, although you two are destined to be enemies in this world, with my powers I can discern many potential futures and, it is possible that, if you succeed in your endeavor to save this world from falling into chaos then neither of your paths will end here. Although the darkness will seem insurmountable at times, if you keep moving forward you will eventually find true light. Now, return to your friend and remember what has transpired on this day."

"Wait," Harry cried out. "Why us? Why can't you just send us back to Hogwarts so that we can be normal?" Harry's questions hung in the air, unacknowledged by the voice. From his seated position, Harry pulled his knees to his chest and started to rock, back and forth, in an attempt to cope with all that the voice had just told him. The young boy was shocked by how fundamentally his life had been altered since he had been transported from the Hufflepuff common room. After several minutes he was forced to admit that the voice was not going to return to offer him any more guidance, so Harry stood up, picked up his blade and its sheathe, from where they had fallen on the ground, and returned to his unconscious friend.

Instead of trying to wake the young Hufflepuff girl, Harry sat down next to her. He looked at her sleeping face, which had returned to its natural state, and imagined the way her blue eyes twinkled when she laughed or smiled. He was forced to choke back tears at the thought of having her taken from him in such a cruel way and resolved himself to do whatever it took to assure that the world did not fall into chaos so that they could meet again. As soon as the thought passed through Harry's mind a fierce wind blew through the meadow and Harry's world began to go dark. In his last conscious moments, Harry reached out and grabbed Nymphadora's hand; the last thing that he felt, before losing his battle against the impending darkness, was a reassuring squeeze from Nymphadora's hand from which Harry took to mean that his friend would always be there for him. Magic once again swirled around the two children and, in the blink of an eye, they were gone from the mysterious meadow.

AN: This is the point of no return where the cross-over begins. I hope that you like it. This is my first venture into the Narutoverse. Don't worry though, I have every intention of bring the protagonists back to the Potterverse.

The Land of Fire had been in a state of continual upheaval for decades. The strength of the Senju and Uchiha clans made the other clans of the region pale in comparison and, during the frequent conflicts that raged throughout the land, bandwagon with the clan that seemed most likely to come out victorious. After one such battle resulted in the deaths of several of the strongest members of the Senju clan, the Uchiha took advantage of the situation and marshaled the other clans of the region to fortify their place as the regional leader. The Uchiha then forced the Senju clan to sign a non-aggression treaty with them which, though it wasn't able to remove years of animosity, was able to create a tentative peace that allowed both clans to focus their efforts on building for the future. The Uchiha clan, under the guise of pacifying the region, heavily punished any who were found practicing any form of the ninja arts that had bought the Senju and Uchiha clans such respect. However, the Uchiha had no intention to give up the source of their power and continued to train their youth in the way of the Sharingan. Initially, the members of the Senju clan agreed that it would be best for all if the ninja arts were no longer practiced but, when they discovered the Uchiha clan's hypocrisy, they too resumed their training in secret.

In a small, unassuming cottage on the fringes of the small village a young boy abruptly jolted awake. When he arrived, two years before, the boy had been known as Harry Potter but, since arriving in the Land of Fire, the boy had simply been called Bolt on account of the scar on his forehead that resembled a lightning bolt. The boy was trained by the Senju clan in the ninja arts and made his sensei proud, despite his outsider status; Bolt demonstrated an elemental affinity, that the Senju clan highly valued, and proved his worth to the clan many times over by disabling Uchiha scouts who occasionally managed to find the Senju clan's continually moving training grounds. Over the past year, the Uchiha clan had become more determined to find the whereabouts of the Senju ninja and approved many missions to eradicate the Senju. The Uchiha were so obsessed with their desire to subjugate the Senju that they didn't stop to consider the level of destruction that their fire-based jutsu wrought upon the land. The other clans that had put their trust in the leadership of the Uchiha were now regretting the choice that they made when they agreed to stop training in the ninja arts. The Uchiha, since they were the first to break the law against training new ninja, had far more ninja than any other clan and they were desperate not to lose the power that they had amassed. In response, the strongest of the Senju warriors had begun a resistance movement to overthrow the corrupt Uchiha.

Shashirana Senju had distinguished himself among the Senju and had mastered ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu. As a boy, he was a prodigy who stood above his peers; he alone had the power to match the Mangekyō Sharingan of the Uchiha clan's leader. Consequently, when the boy reached maturity he was made head of the Senju clan. It was by his grace that Harry Potter had been taken in by the Senju clan and it was by his authority that the boy had to give up his previous identity, and assume the name Bolt, if he wished to live under the protection of the Senju. Shashirana had been very skeptical that the young boy would show any promise in the ninja arts and had been very surprised when Bolt proved himself to be very adept at both Ninjutsu and Taijutsu. Although Bolt had a long way to go until he was at the level of Shashirana Senju he became stronger by the day and prided himself on not making the same mistake twice. Bolt quickly rose through the ranks and had achieved the highest rank available to non-blood members of the Senju clan.

During his first year with the Senju clan, Bolt frequently thought of the meadow where he last saw his first friend, Nymphadora Tonks, but over the years the memory started to seem more and more like a dream. He began to wonder whether or not his time in the meadow and his vague memories of living in a castle and practicing magic were actually real at all. His harsh training, and his experiences fighting against the Uchiha ninjas, had given Bolt nightmares that had pushed the comforting thoughts far from his mind; if not for the black and white blade that Bolt had received in the meadow he would have written the whole experience off as an enemy's genjutsu affecting his mind. He had felt the sting of enemy blades piercing his flesh and the thrill of facing an adversary of immense strength. Bolt lived up to his name and used his lightning affinity to strike fear in the hearts of those who stood against him. It was said that the way that Bolt adapted to enemy techniques could only be rivaled by the infamous Sharingan of the Uchiha.

After years of preparation Shashirana Senju finally felt confident that the Senju clan was strong enough to wrest control from the hands of the Uchiha and called his forces together to stage a decisive battle; unfortunately, he was betrayed by one of his captains. In the slaughter that occurred, Shashirana Senju's once handsome face was severely disfigured and many of his valued warriors were unceremoniously killed. This had the dual effect of making Shashirana deeply suspicious of people and making him more convinced than ever that the Uchiha clan had to be stopped. He began to place more and more responsibility on the few captains that he could trust and, consequently, Bolt came to be feared as the Green Bolt of the Senju. Shashirana made people realize that they could no longer trust the Uchiha clan and a genuine rebellion started. Valiant fighters appeared to fight for the Uchiha clan and the conflict was brought to a stalemate. Shashirana had only just recently reached a position where he believed that the Senju clan could overwhelm the Uchiha clan in terms of sheer power and, because of that, he was preparing to take his resistance movement into the light by publically standing against the Uchiha and calling out to all of those who were tired of being repressed.

The Green Bolt of the Senju unrolled the scroll that contained his newest mission and grinned smugly as he read the contents, although no one would have known because of the mask that covered the lower part of his face. He had been assigned to intercept a caravan traveling along the mountain path that journeymen used when traveling between settlements to trade goods. Whenever Bolt looked onto the settlement that the Senju had created he became very optimistic and he dared to believe that eventually everything would work out. Bolt left his dwelling with speed befitting his name and set out to find his target. Bolt hurtled through the foliage, jumping from tree-branch to tree-branch to avoid leaving a trail, and in no time stood in his favorite spot, looking out over the Senju settlement. He knew that he should focus on his mission but he couldn't deny the simple pleasure of taking a minute to admire the majesty of the scenery. From his position he had a perfect vantage point to observe all of the paths that connected the settlement to the other settlements of the region and a conspicuously unmarked carriage caught his eye.

Although carriages were rare it was not uncommon to see one or two entering or leaving the village during the week. However, the families who could afford to buy carriages, and those skilled enough to make them, proudly marked the vehicle as their family's personal property by applying their family crest. The absence of such a mark was highly suspicious to one who had been trained in the ways of the ninja; acting on instinct, Bolt set off at a breakneck pace to intercept the unmarked carriage. In no time, the boy had made his way from his position on the top of the mountain to investigate the suspicious carriage. When Bolt was within twenty paces of the carriage he slowed his pace and committed himself to remaining silent and undetected by whoever was inside the carriage. Bolt's plan was going smoothly he had gotten close enough to the carriage without any sign of alarm and he planned to gently hoist himself onto the step before vaulting into the cabin.

Unfortunately, for Bolt, the moment he placed his foot on the step two things happened. First, there was an explosion that disoriented the teenager and blew him away from the carriage; second, a cloud of smoke blanketed the area making it impossible for Bolt to see. With his ears ringing and his vision blocked by the density of smoke Bolt got to his feet. Beneath his mask, Bolt grimaced as he considered how vulnerable the explosion had left him. As he completed the thought he felt the air move around him and dove forward before rolling to his feet. If Bolt had not dived out of the way then his head would have been separated from his shoulders; luckily, he had managed to evade the blow without injury. He quickly turned his body so that he was facing the spot that he just moved from and he heard a female's voice in the smoke.

"Very well done. It seems that our intel reports regarding your skills failed to do you justice. I expected that it would take you much longer to locate me and that it would take even more time for you to get close enough to activate my traps. For you to be able to anticipate my strike speaks volumes about the training that you received at the hands of the Senju clan but I know that, though you have been trained by the Senju, you are not of their clan. You are an outsider and it is because of this that I have come to offer you a proposition on behalf of the Uchiha. Join our cause and help us put down the insolent Senju dogs. Your transgressions will be forgotten and you can have a position among the Uchiha regime."

Bolt had not expected such a proposition and was momentarily thrown off balance. As the smoke cleared, the speaker came into view. She appeared to be the same height as bolt and wore red armor over the black bodysuit that covered her from head to toe. The armor extended slightly over her shoulders, but not to an extent that would prevent her arms' movement, and formed a V on her torso before rejoining at her waist. She wore a short skirt that was black with red flames dancing along the hem. However, her most striking feature was her eyes the pupil was completely red with three black teardrop-like tomoes rotating in a mesmerizing fashion: the Sharingan. Much to the amusement of the female ninja, Bolt forced himself to tear his gaze away from her eyes to prevent himself from falling under one of the infamous Uchiha genjutsu techniques.

"So, you are the Green Bolt of the Senju," the red and black clad ninja asked while slowly advancing toward Bolt. "If rumors are correct than you have much experience battling against the warriors of the Sharingan. Do you think that you can best my visual powers?"

Bolt unsheathed his blade and held it horizontally in front of his body as his body slid into his battle stance. "You know, this isn't exactly the best way to get me to agree to betray the people who took me in when I had nothing and helped me to become the person that I am today. I'll have to decline your offer."

Instead of responding the female ninja launched herself at Bolt. She threw three shuriken at Bolt, that were deflected, before slashing at him with a kunai. Her slash was met by Bolt's white and black blade causing a metallic chime to ring out. The birds in the nearby trees took flight at the sound and the two put all of their might into pushing their connected blades in an attempt to knock their opponent to the ground. After a few moments of effort Bolt began to overwhelm his opponent but before he could take advantage of the situation the Sharingan warrior disengaged and leaped back out of Bolt's range. Her hands blurred as she made a series of hand signs; seeing what the female ninja was doing, Bolt hands also became a blur as he launched into a different series of hand signs in order to counter the other ninja's action.

Abruptly, the female ninja's hands stopped moving and she held her right hand in front of her face with two fingers pointed toward the sky. She inhaled deeply before unleashing a torrent of flames toward her opponent. Bolt only just managed to complete the hand signs required to channel his chakra in a way that would allow him to harness lightning to counter his opponent's attack. The tongue of flame raced toward Bolt and completely enveloped the masked ninja. After several seconds the flames began to die down leaving a smirk on the face of the female ninja. However, when the last of the flames dissipated an electrical dome was the only thing that remained. Moments later the dome exploded outward with a thunderous boom to reveal Bolt, standing unscathed.

The female ninja resumed her offensive by throwing more shuriken at Bolt which he dodged with a series of careening flips. After the last projectile buried itself into the ground Bolt sprang back and flipped onto a low branch of one of the overgrown trees growing around the clearing. The female ninja refused to give Bolt the opportunity to escape and pursued him into the tree. She aimed a kick at Bolt's head which he ducked while sweeping his leg in an attempt to knock his opponent's supporting leg out from under her. The female ninja used the momentum from her kick to throw her body into a horizontal spin which allowed her to safely avoid the kick that was aimed at her vulnerable leg. When she landed from her spin, the black teardrops of her Sharingan spun rapidly when Bolt incidentally met her gaze and Bolt found himself locked in a stare down from which he couldn't escape.

A moment under a Sharingan induced genjutsu each second could feel like an eternity and the only limits to what the wielder of the Sharingan could do their victim were the caster's imagination and their chakra reserves. Unfortunately for Bolt, the ninja who had successfully trapped him was very imaginative. While standing immobile on the tree branch, Bolt's conscious was transported to another plane where he was surrounded by enemy ninja. Waves and waves of ninja threw themselves at Harry only to fall victim to his ninjutsu and his black and white blade. Eventually the waves of enemy ninja stopped coming and Bolt was left alone. The boy turned when he heard the sound of boots echoing as someone approached him; Bolt's heart skipped a beat when he saw his old friend Nymphadora walking toward him.

"Harry, why did you leave me?" Nymphadora asked in a pained voice. "I've been all alone because you weren't there for me. I took you in when you were all alone and this is how you repay me? I hate you, Harry Potter! I hate you and I never want to see you again!"

"NO!" Bolt shouted as his chakra exploded outward like a bomb. Instantly the scene began to flicker, as if it was in the middle of an earthquake. As the last vestiges of the genjutsu melted away Bolt's consciousness returned to the tree where his body was standing. Bolt saw blood dripping from the corners of his opponent's eyes and realized that she must have overused her Sharingan because her pupils had returned to their normal shade of black. The female ninja opened her mouth and attempted to say something but failed. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she began to fall toward the ground.

Acting on impulse, Bolt raced forward and threw himself from the tree in order to save the unconscious girl from what could prove to be a deadly impact. Living up to his name, Bolt succeeded in preventing the girl from plummeting into the ground. Mission accomplished, he hoisted the girl over his shoulder and returned to meet with his sensei: Shashirana Senju.

AWitP: Defining Choices

AN: So, I decided to make the piece a crossover with Naruto. I had just caught up with Naruto Shippudden, after taking a four year break, and felt inspired to take a foray into that world. When I first started this piece I had no idea where it was going, now I have a direction and a destination. I hope that you liked the chapter please leave me a review and tell me what you think.